Innovation Anthology #476:

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When it comes to regaining lost memory, a little protein called sonic hedgehog may be the key.

That’s an amazing new finding from the lab of Dr. Rob Sutherland at the University of Lethbridge.

Sonic hedgehog is abundant in early life and stimulates the birth of new cells in the brain. Adding it to an infusion developed for rats helped Dr. Sutherland grow new brain cells in the hippocampus and restore memory.

DR ROB SUTHERLAND: And in addition then, we alternated. The animals got lots of exercise, every second day, and then every other day we gave them environmental enrichment, and we did that for six weeks. So they received an infusion of these two growth factors plus exercise plus environmental enrichment. When we did that, there was actually a normal number of the lost hippocampal neurons. So we had managed to repopulate the entire part of the brain that we had caused degeneration of. And in addition, all the memory deficits that would have been there were abolished.

With this success, Dr. Sutherland’s lab is now studying whether the new brain cells and restored memory can be sustained over time.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

 

 

Program Date: 2012-05-22